PET SCAN - POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY

WHAT IS A PET SCAN?

A PET scan examines the body's chemistry. Most common medical tests, like CT and MR scans, only show details about the structure of the body. A PET scan is different as it provides information about function. With a single PET scan procedure, physicians can collect images of function throughout the entire body, uncovering abnormalities that might otherwise go undetected.

For example, a PET scan is the most accurate, non-invasive way to tell whether or not a tumour is benign or malignant, sparing patients the often painful diagnostic surgeries and suggesting treatment options earlier in the course of the disease. And although cancer spreads silently in the body, a PET scan can inspect most organs of the body for cancer in a single examination!

THE PATIENT BENEFITS OF A PET SCAN:

• Whole-body cancer staging in a single PET scan exam
• Fewer repeated CT and MRI procedures with a PET scan
• Faster scan times with a PET scan, reducing patient discomfort
• Reduction in sampling errors of CT guided biopsies
• Accurate diagnosis of disease states with a PET scan
• PET scan improves accuracy in radiation therapy treatments
• PET scan provides cancer patients with hope and peace of mind

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HOW DOES A PET SCAN WORK?

When disease strikes, the biochemistry of tissues and cells changes. In cancer, for example, cells begin to grow at a much faster rate, feeding on sugars like glucose. A PET scan works by using a very small amount of a radioactive tracer chemically attached to glucose or other compounds.The patient is injected with the tracer compound. It travels through the body and eventually collects in areas of potential disease or abnormality. The tracer compound emits radiation which is detected by the PET scanner. The scanner records these signals and transforms them into images. Regions of abnormal uptake are highlighted in these images.

A trained Nuclear Medicine Physician interprets these PET scan images and can determine if disease is present and the stage of the disease.

WHAT CAN PET SCAN SEE THAT OTHER TESTS CANNOT?

A PET scan is able to detect extremely small cancerous tumours and very subtle changes of function in the brain and heart. This allows physicians to treat these diseases earlier and more accurately. A PET scan puts time on your side! The earlier the diagnosis, the better chance for treatment.

PET scans gives patients hope.

DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY

(1) Source: The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Supplement, Volume 42, Number 5, May 2001 and UCLA

WHAT IS A PET SCAN USED TO DIAGNOSE?

A PET scan is used to diagnose and stage patients with cancer, as well as patients with certain brain and heart disorders.

In cancer, a PET scan can:

• Distinguish benign from malignant tumours
• Stage cancer by showing metastases anywhere in the body
• Prove whether or not treatment therapies are working

In the heart, a PET scan can:

• Quantify the extent of heart disease
• Determine, after a heart attack, if the heart muscle would benefit from surgery

In the brain, a PET scan can:

• Positively diagnose Alzheimer's disease for early intervention
• Locate the focus of seizures for some patients with epilepsy
• More accurately assess tumours and other sites in the brain for delicate surgery